If you aren’t familiar with this product, 22ple VG1 is a hydrophobic coating that is applied to your windshield and other exterior glass to help keep the glass cleaner and to increase visibility during poor weather. This product is advertised with an approximate 6 month durability.

Since my initial review, I have used VG1 on my personal cars, as well as vehicles belonging to customers, friends, and family members so that I can receive feedback on how the product performs. I have also done side-by-side testing of VG1 against some competitive products to see how it compares to other products on the market.

Hydrophobic Properties

The performance of this product really shines when it comes to repelling water. In my side-by-side comparison with a popular competitor, 22ple VG1 was leaps and bounds better when it came to how quickly the water was shed from the windshield while driving. In a rain storm, the water droplets slid off of the glass quicker on the 22ple coated area. Once the rain had finished, the 22ple coated section dried much quicker as well.

Application

I have found 22ple VG1 to be one of the quickest and easiest windshield coatings to use. Once the glass is cleaned, it takes me about 5 minutes to apply one coat to the windshield. After a few uses, I became quite familiar with the product and was able to reduce the amount of time spent wiping. I simply mist some product onto the glass, spread with a CarPro applicator block with suede cloth wrapped around it, and then wipe away with a clean microfiber towel. The best part is, if you happen to let the product sit on the surface too long and it is difficult to wipe, all you need to do is simply mist a little more product onto that area and then immediately wipe. It is very user friendly.

Durability

In my opinion, the sole purpose of a windshield coating is to repel water, so for the sake of this article I will directly correlate durability with the longevity of hydrophobic behavior, which isn’t necessarily an accurate assessment with other coating products.

Depending on the weather, 22ple VG1 may very well provide the advertised 6 months of life, however I have found this area to be somewhat over exaggerated by almost every product in this glass coating market. If wipers are used somewhat regularly, say once per week, I would recommend reapplying this product every 3-4 months to keep it performing as new. Even windshield coatings that are marketed as having 2+ years of life have shown greatly diminished performance in my tests after just a month or two of repeated use, so to me this is not necessarily a downfall of VG1, but rather a variable that is hard to judge since environmental conditions play a big role in the overall results.

Again, I recommend reapplying more regularly for optimal performance if you are in an area that receives regular rainfall. It is worth noting that I do not always go through the entire process of polishing the glass before application, but I will ensure the glass is very clean. I make it a point to lightly polish the windshield on a yearly basis though. You might also consider using a product like Optimum Opti-Glass Clean and Protect to help boost the durability of the coating by adding additional protection on top of it after regular washes.

Value

At just over $10/oz ($0.35/mL), this product certainly isn’t cheap, but it is considerably less expensive than many competitors. With some products from other brands coming in at nearly 5 times the cost by volume, VG1 is a great value for a glass coating… especially considering its great performance.

It is also important to mention how little product is used per application with these types of coatings. One 115 mL bottle of VG1 will coat your windshield many, many, many times! I’ve used the same bottle to coat my windshield 5 times now, and have around 80% remaining.

Conclusion

If you are seeking a water resistant coating to help provide better visibility while driving, 22ple VG1 is a great option. The value, ease of use, and performance make it an easy choice for me. While durability claims may seem less impressive than some of the competition, I find they are much more realistic as even those claiming 1-2 years often miss that mark, or need toppers added for optimal performance. I’ve been very pleased with this product and will continue to use it regularly.

10 comments on 22ple VG1 Perfect Vision Window Coat: Follow Up Review

Zach, glad to see a long term test on this. I’m always looking for an easy to use glass coating. I’ve tried most of the brands, and only one seemed to last more than a year, but is tough to work with and very pricey for the two bottles you get. Most are like you said, and if I only have to “freshen up” every 3-4 months that’s fine with me. Biggest thing is most can be very smeary, or after a few hours of application have some tough to remove haze. Gonna give this a whirl. Thanks

Hey Joe – As I mentioned, I’ve been super impressed with VG1’s performance, so I can handle the lower durability. I’ve gotten better with the application after repeated use. If the coating is left on for even a minute too long, it can get hazy and be a little stubborn, but the trick is to remember that if you simply mist a little bit more product onto the glass and then immediately wipe off, the haze will easily wipe away. Hope it works out great for you!

Zach,
I know the last comment was several months ago, but I was wondering if you remove the original coating of VG1 before you re-apply every 3-4 months, or do you simply put a fresh coat over the original coat after cleaning the windshield?

Hi Jim – you’ll notice that in the article I stated that “I do not always go through the entire process of polishing the glass before application, but I will ensure the glass is very clean”. So, in the months were we do not get much rain, I typically go 6 months between applications, and when I am ready to apply another layer, I just wash the car, clay the glass, and reapply the VG1. I do try to lightly polish the glass every year or so, but since I do not drive too far, my windshield stays pretty clean. If you rack up quite a bit of miles each year, you may need to polish more frequently to ensure the glass is clean before reapplication.

Harry – We always tend to air on the side of caution and place a later incoming date for 22ple items, since they are being shipped from overseas and can get held up in customs from time to time. I can however say that we just got our 22ple shipment in about 5 minutes ago and are warehouse team is taking care of checking the order and getting it on the shelves. You will find the backorder notification removed from the site soon and any orders with 22ple items will ship out tomorrow. If you have any other questions please do not hesitate to contact us here: https://www.detailedimage.com/Contact/